I Love You, David
by Morningstar-Winchester
Summary: Cult Camp! David has a hard time snapping Max out of his purification trance and Max has a hard time letting go. Dadvid fanfiction. It's cute :3 Maybe a little sad o3o Enjoy!


David knew something was wrong the minute Max came out of the sauna with those big mint-green eyes and wide smile on his face.

 _Max doesn't smile. Not like that._

He knew something was wrong when Max looked up at him and he seemed to just stare past him for a moment. Then the kid's head turned toward Daniel, and the smile seemed to widen.

"I love you, Daniel."

 _What?_

David couldn't help the jealousy that erupted in him like some burning flame. That wasn't right. David had been trying to get Max to see the positive side of things. He'd been trying to break past whatever mask Max had up, tried to get him to open up, to loosen up. He'd been trying for so _long._

And Daniel spends _one_ day at camp and _this…_

Something was wrong.

The comments Max had made about Daniel being better…. But it still wasn't right. Max didn't love _anything_ or _anybody._ Why should Daniel be any different?

" _A cultist - You hired a fucking cultist, you idiot!"_

" _Oh! You mean the bat-shit crazy cult-leader you put in charge of the camp?!"_

" _But it's all right here, right in front of you! Proof that Daniel's actually a religious cult leader that's gonna brainwash and kill every last one of us!"_

David had thought Max was just being.. Max. But then that didn't explain Neil and Nikki…

" _He gave everyone a "de-toxification diet", then started spouting off Latin from a book with a pentagram!"_

" _Hey Daaaaaviiiid?... WAKE UP AND SMELL THE KOOL-AID!"_

David shook his head desperately, eyes flickering from Daniel to Max and back again, watching as Max reached out to grab one of the cups of kool-aid.

 _Kool-aid._

 _Cult leader._

 _Ascension._

 _Kool-aid._

 _Kool-aid…_

 _Wait…_

Everything was piecing itself together.

David's eyes flashed to the ground now, thinking, but blinked when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. His heart stopped.

Rat poison.

David's mouth opened but nothing came out, and his gaze trailed back up to Daniel. He wasn't as oblivious as everyone thought but… This time he'd definitely overlooked something. How could he let a… A…

" _Cultist? Just say it, David, he's a fucking **cultist**."_

David could hear Max's voice clearly and it seemed to stop the rising panic somehow. But then it only came back when he realized Max wasn't actually speaking to him. It was in his head. Max was getting ready to drink kool-aid.

Kool-aid that was _probably_ poisoned.

 _"He's gonna kill me, David."_

That thought set off an instinct David didn't know he had. An instinct that told him to protect. If Max had been right, if Daniel was really a cult leader… This man was about to kill his kid.

 _"He's gonna kill us all."_

And the other campers.

But his _kid._

… _.No._ Narrowing his eyes, David looked back over at Daniel. _Hell no._

Not if he had anything to say about it.

* * *

That had gone better than he'd thought. With Daniel out of the way, now David could focus on the kids. The kids who were still acting weird and Daniel-crazy. Including Max.

Max who now had the cup to his lips and was starting to take a sip.

"No!" David launched forward instantly, grabbing Max's arm and jerking him back, causing the kid to drop the cup. Max tried to pull away but David just continued to pull him back until he was far enough away from the table with the kool-aid.

"Alright, campers, everybody inside!" David exclaimed, looking up toward the campers. "Into the mess hall. Now!"

"Where did Daniel go?" Nikki's head tilted to the side, her wide eyes never moving from David's. "Why is Daniel gone, David? Why did Daniel leave? Did you make Daniel leave?"

David knew he probably shouldn't be scared of a bunch of kids but right now they were all staring at him in the creepiest ways possible. The counselor cleared his throat. "Just go inside. I'll explain everything, okay?" He pressed, then added when nobody moved; "I'll tell you where Daniel is."

That had them moving. David watched carefully, keeping a hold on Max, making sure none of the kids had any kool-aid. Once they were all inside, David looked down at Max, who stared back at him blankly.

"I want Daniel."

David frowned at that, shaking his head slightly. "Max... Max, no you don't."

"We need Daniel," Max said slowly. "We must ascend to our final form. Don't you want to ascend, David?"

"Max, snap out of it." David knelt down to his level to look Max in the eyes, putting a hand firmly on Max's shoulder. "You're the one who warned me about Daniel, remember? You said he was a..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "I should have listened to you before, Max. Snap out of it."

Max tilted his head innocently, looking up at him. Then he turned his head to look toward one of the cups sitting on the table, and David followed his gaze, feeling his grip tighten so that the kid couldn't go for the kool-aid.

"Daniel wouldn't leave." Max said randomly, his gaze fixed on nothing. "You made Daniel leave."

"Daniel's fine." David insisted, gritting his teeth. Daniel actually wasn't fine. Daniel was actually laying somewhere near the entrance to the camp where the kids couldn't see him. David wasn't sure why he'd called the ambulance to come get him. The fucker deserved to die but David couldn't let him, he couldn't do that to someone.

Even someone who tried to kill his kid.

 _And the other campers._ David kept reminding himself, shaking his head.

Max was now staring at him in a very creepy way. "We need to ascend, David. Then we'll be free."

David liked to think of himself as a nice guy.

But right now he wanted to stab a knife through Daniel's chest. But he couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. He was a good guy. Good guy.

"No," David shook his head. "No, Max, no. No ascending."

"Are you afraid, David?"

" _Yes_." David answered honestly.

"Don't be afraid." Max tilted his head slightly, his already wide eyes seeming to widen even more. "What are you afraid of?"

"Of you not snapping out of this." David muttered, narrowing his eyes faintly.

Max blinked at him, and for a split second his eyes seemed to clear up. But then they hazed over again. "Where is Daniel?"

David closed his eyes. "Daniel won't be coming back to camp, Max. He's gone."

There was a very long pause and then Max spoke up again.

"Gone."

He sounded almost defeated at this point, and David opened his eyes to look at him again. Max's eyes were still glazed, but the spark had left, all traces of a smile gone.

"Everybody's gone."

"What?" David's eyebrows furrowed. "No, just Daniel, Max. The other campers are still here. I'm still here."

"You're still here..." Max echoed, trailing off, his voice becoming more and more distant, but his eyes cleared for a second before glazing over once more. He seemed not to be able to pull himself out of the trance.

 _Or,_ That small voice in David's head, the one he ignored because it was that cynical side everyone had, the side he tried so desperately to ignore but right now he couldn't seem to, _Or maybe he doesn't want to._

Max finally looked up at him. "David."

"I'm here, Max." David repeated himself, staring down at him. Max's eyes narrowed faintly and he seemed to relax slightly, reaching up to grab David's sleeve.

"You're here." Max sounded confused, though. "David's here... David," His eyebrows furrowed, eyes clearing again, and staying clear for a few more seconds this time before glazing over again.

"Yeah, kiddo," David frowned. _Come on. Come on, Max, snap out of it._

Silence. Max just stared. Eyes glazed over.

Then the spark returned.

"I love you, David."

Speechless, David just stared.

That hadn't been what David had expected. Or what he'd wanted.

And he didn't know whether Max even meant it or not.

But the words warmed his heart. Words he didn't think he'd hear from the kid he saw as a son, not in a million years. But now Max was looking up at him with those big, trusting eyes. So innocent.

So _wrong._

Because this wasn't Max. Not at all.

The counselor managed to snap out of his own trance, shaking his head. He cleared his throat, looking down at Max. "Love you too, kiddo. You know I do." He murmured. Then he raised an eyebrow at the reaction he got.

Max's green eyes widened even more, eyebrows shooting up, and his gaze cleared up instantly. He didn't say anything, just stared at him.

"Max?" David's eyebrows furrowed.

Silence again. Then;

"What?"

Max's voice was clear, too, not as distant, but he sounded confused. Very confused.

"Oh, thank God," David sighed, a relief smile tugging at his lips. Then he promptly pulled Max into a hug. The kid froze for a second, and then instantly began struggling.

"David, get the fuck off of me! I swear to God, I will _murder_ you if you don't let me go right this _instant,_ you dick!"

David just laughed, ignoring Max's ranting, and held the kid close for a moment longer before finally letting go. "Language." It was the only thing he could think of to say.

"Go fuck yourself." Max snapped, brushing himself off and glowering at the counselor for a moment longer. "Don't you have to snap the other kids out of their little "purification trance"?"

"Oh, right," David was smiling from ear to ear as he stood back up. "Let's go." He turned and headed for the mess hall. After a few seconds he heard Max trailing behind him.

"So where is Daniel, anyway?"

"We'll worry about him later." David brushed it off, and he didn't have to turn back to know Max was rolling his eyes.

"Okay." There was a moment of silence and then a sudden; "David."

"Hm?"

"I meant what I said."

David stopped walking. Max's voice held a faint wariness and an emotion that David couldn't exactly describe. The counselor turned, eyebrows furrowing. "About what?" But he had a feeling he already knew.

"I'm not saying it again, and you can't make me." Max glared at him. "You _know_ what, idiot."

 _"I love you, David."_

David's lips twitched up faintly. "Max..."

"Do _not_." Max growled. "I will slit your throat while you're asleep, David, don't test me. Just..." He trailed off, his glare faltering slightly. "Just know I meant it."

David's smile only widened, staring at him, and Max rolled his eyes faintly, looking beyond annoyed. David didn't really care, though. That was enough for him. It was enough to know Max really _did_ care. That Max didn't hate him as much as he said.

"I know, Max."


End file.
